A Man with a dream

TRANSFER REVIEW:

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So the Board gave me a chance to revise my ambitions in the beginning of the January and with our financial condition improving day by day, I was offered a transfer kitty of 32 million which of course was in part due to me as I didn’t spend my budget in the summer. Anyways my top players were being circled and with Euro Cup and F.A. Cup fixtures as well as the pressure of a Top 4 race I decided that it was time that I splash my budget and secure us some top notch players and that is what I did! It feels good to splash money I must admit!

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Transfers In:

Samir Nasri:

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The ex-Arsenal and Manchester City player joins from AS Monaco to lend us both experience and genius in the wider areas. He is capable of playing at either of the wings even in a Flat 4-4-2 which is going to be very useful for us. He was signed for a measly 2.5 Million but commands high wages. A short term signing for the club, I hope he can inspire the youngsters in the team.

Joel Bermudez:

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The Barcelona playmaker has been signed on loan although I want to sign him permanently. He is a manager’s dream with some fantastic attributes. He has pace, work ethic, passing skills and a good head on his shoulders. Another short term fix which I might look to make permanent in the summer. He will take over on the left so Mukhtar can move back to central midfield.

Chris Midtun:

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My second signing from Monaco this season and our most expensive player, Midtun is the replacement for Lennon who is sadly not good for this level anymore. The 21 year old has already played many times for his country and can develop into a world class winger. His dribbling and crossing plus his pace and vision will make him a full backs nightmare for years to come.

Jose Carlos Pavoni:

View attachment 172083Naturally a winger, he can also play at Centre forward and he is my replacement for the injured Hernandez. I noticed him first in the National Pool for Uruguay and decided to track him. I jumped on the chance to sign him when he was transfer listed for 6.5 by Sevilla. Pace, dribbling and an eye for a goal will make him a pretty good False 9. Plus he is only 21 and has all time in the world to grow into a world class striker! A new Strike Partnership of VEZI AND PAVONI! Watch out World!

Transfer Outs:

Lorenzo De Silvestri:

He wasn’t getting many games and though he wasn’t complaining I didn’t want him to rot in reserves. Basel came in for him and I sold him for 15 times what I signed him. A pretty nifty business I must admit!

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JANUARY REVIEW:


02/01/2021

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A good start to the New Year as we start with a Nasri debut goal and a win over QPR. It was a close match and QPR gave us hard time but 2 well taken goal meant we end up winning the match and gain valuable 3 points in our bid for Champions League Qualification.

09/01/2021

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We are good at many things but Penalties isn’t one of them as we miss our third of the season which force us to settle for a point. We have started stuttering against the mid level or bottom placed clubs and that is worrying. Although Crystal Palace are in the Euro Cup and should be respected, we should be winning these home games!

16/01/2021

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ANOTHER DRAW! This is frustrating as we fail to defeat Aston Villa. They have a good pacy team but if we want to compete with the best, we should be winning these matches. We have simply not looked good enough recently as even the wins have been labored. I have changed tactics, changed roles, changed players but nothing seems to be working at present. The Premier League is HARD!

23/01/2021

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As if the draws weren’t enough, we go on to concede possession and lose to rivals Southampton as they close the gap on us again! We are just not finishing well and the defense seems to lack confidence and a leader I believe. If we give away one goal the whole defense start playing like headless chickens! Absolutely disgusting performance.

30/01/2021

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A slightly better performance but only because we managed to grab the winner. It was heading for another frustrating and disappointing draw when Nasri arrived late in the box and bundled in a cross in the stoppage time to give us the winner and a fixture against Manchester City. This is a start but much better performances are needed.

MONTH OVERVIEW:

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The less I say the better. It was an awful month as we fail to beat weaker teams and get a head way in the race to 4th​. If we manage to beat these teams we could have been top but NO! That doesn’t make for an interesting race so we help teams around us and make the Premier League interesting. Every player has suddenly lost form and no one is performing well. We need to pick up our form and do it soon!

LEAGUE TABLE:

I forgot the table, I have played ahead and I have forgotten in the months ahead too :D! We are 4th​, hanging on to it with Southampton, City and Tottenham chasing us! The only thing good is our Goal Difference.

CLUB DEVELOPMENT:

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A very important piece of news and development as we upgrade our Youth rating which will attract better players to our team. We have got a good HoYD and better youth training and facilities will help us grow further.

IN OTHER NEWS:

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Seriously De Boer? You are telling me this as Manchester City Manager? Go look in the mirror mate.

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FEBRUARY REVIEW:


02/02/2021

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This is the kind of performance that I need my team to give as we sweep Swansea apart at the Kassam Stadium. We held the ball, troubled the opposition and held our own back defensively. Nasri was majestic in this match as he helped us re take the lead and then score a beautiful curling free kick. I love players with dead ball prowess!

06/02/2021

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2 minutes is all it took for us to lose the match. Don’t get me wrong, Manchester City were playing well and were dominant but lapse of concentration for 2 minutes cost us 2 goals and we never recovered quite well. Bermudezs’ goal gave us a chance to rally but City blocked us out. As I have been saying time and time again, we have to win these matches to establish ourselves in Top 4.

11/02/2021

Our first game in the Continental Knockouts as we face BMG away in Germany. The loss against Manchester City was disappointing coming into the match and many of the players that played against City are unavailable due to us having only 22 players registered in the Euro Cup due to Registration rules. I am nervous and it is going to be a tough match.

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A magnificent performance by the boys as we kept them quiet and managed to grab two vital away goals. Modric got sent off late but he was not going to play any part in the reverse fixture so that is okay. Mukhtar opened the scoring and Vezi doubled our lead as Chambers turned our chief creator from right back today. The guy was everywhere and I think I am gonna give him a raise!

14/02/2021

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Our new boys combine to give us a very vital win as we keep pressure on Chelsea in our quest for Top-4. Pavoni and Bermudez ran riot down the left and although our defense was a bit shaky, we held on in the end to gain vital 3 points. Pavoni dribbles like magic between the defenders and I think it is time for him to get call up to the Uruguayan National Team!

18/02/2021

Right, all we need is a routine victory, hold the ball, pass it around and don’t let them score! It doesn’t matter if we don’t score. I think we can do that much. The boys are anxious to go out there as the crowds roar their names. This is going to be good!

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And it turned out to be good. BMG gave us more fight then they did back in Germany but Havel was amazing as we secure a 4-1 aggregate win over the Germans and prepare to face Porto now! Havel was a work horse, helping Jay in defense and running riot while attacking. He cut inside twice to score 2 goals and book our passage to the second round!

P.S: Crystal Palace also progress while Liverpool are knocked out by Benfica!

21/02/2021

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This turned out to be the reverse of Liverpool vs. Manchester City where City won the cup but Liverpool decimated them in the league. We lost in the league but dominated them in the Cup lead by ex-city lad Nasri. We limited them to just 1 shot on target while we scored 3 goals to secure a Quarter Final place!

24/02/2021

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A nice dominant performance away from home is always good to see and the boys did well against Middlesborough who are no slouches. At 1-1, I was sure they will go on to win or hold us to draw but we found that extra gear and raced to a 4-1 lead. The late goal didn’t lead to nerves and we secure 3 points and continue our march in the League!

28/02/2021

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We absolutely dominated the match until Kane was shoved in the penalty area by Mahlangu and all **** broke loose. They went into break 1 up and came our raring to go and scored 2 more goals. We never recovered as both teams took a breather after that and the match just ambled away. A terrible loss to one of our rivals as we again fail to win against a top notch team!

MONTH OVERVIEW:

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A long, arduous and tiresome but mostly successful month. Other than the league games against City and Tottenham, we were very good as we secure further passage through in the Euro Cup and F.A. Cup while holding onto the coveted 4th​ place. We could be top if we won all those matches but living in What If’s is never good!

LEAGUE TABLE:

…

Err… I forgot!

IN OTHER NEWS:

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A player who led us to the Premier League and one of the few home grown players leaves after getting zero games this season and being well short of the required level.

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A bit of International news! We hold onto our 3rd​ spot!

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Surprise Surprise! A new winner of the Capital One Cup as they defeat Everton in the Final and book a European Place!

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Pavoni comes third in the player of the month after some breathtaking football…

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…And grabs the award for the Young player of the month! Bermudez makes it to the 3rd​ position as well!

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Nasri wins Goal of the month for that Lovely free kick!

P.S: The Youth Intake surprisingly happened on 28th and I forgot the SS but there was nothing to rave about! I have many Future Transfers arranged though and I will try to show you a list of them soon :D

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MARCH REVIEW:

04/03/2021

Our second round match with FCP will be our hardest match till date as we welcome them home for the first leg. We need to get a good result here in order to have any chance of progressing as the Dragao stadium is one of the hardest stadiums to win at and I don’t have much hope for the away game. The registration rules mean a small squad devoid of some of our best players like Midtun, Pavoni and Bermudez.

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WOW! The first half was a close and tense affair with both sides testing and going close but not scoring. My assistant said that I should praise the boys for the good display but I let it rip on them and shouted like anything. I thought I made a huge mistake as the second half started with FCP flying out of the blocks. Well until suddenly the players started passing the ball well and making good runs. Vezi and Nasri took over then as a brace by Vezi and a goal by Nasri gave us a huge 3-0 win. FCP were too shell shocked to attack. The tie isn’t over but this is a huge step forward!

07/03/2021

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One of the matches and scorecard which both betrays and portrays what actually happened. It was a close and tight affair and only some fantastic finishing from Vezi gave us the win and Everton were always in the match but never looked like scoring! The goal at the end was flattering for them but it did lead to a nervy injury time. A vital win ahead of the away leg against FCP!

11/03/2021

Well, it went better than I expected. It all started out as I expected as FCP came out flying and grabbed an early goal in the 15th​ minute but then we managed to hold on till the half time. A similar goal 20 minutes in the second half gave me fear of a possible 3rd​ or 4th​ goal and I panicked!

I ordered my players to attack and somehow it ******* WORKED! Vezi and Sandro scored a goal apiece as FCP finally gave up and Estadio Do Dragao went silent as the Oxford fans danced in delight! I stood at the touch line frozen. This is going well was all I could think.

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Quarter Final Line Up:
Oxford vs. Roma
SLB vs. Dinamo Moscow
Crystal Palace vs. Toulouse
Dortmund vs. OM

14/03/2021

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Well…I don’t know what happened here. We took the lead and suddenly they were playing like Barcelona. They spanked and humiliated us in front of our own crowd as my tactical errors, a tired squad and a fired up Forest team score with all four of their shots on target and send us crashing out of the F.A. Cup.
I have been left in disbelief in 2 matches in a row for 2 opposite reasons!

17/03/2021

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A win would have helped us close the gap but a point at Stamford Bridge in only our second season in the PL is a very good result. It wasn’t a fair result as they deserved a win but we score from our 2 shots on target and get a point. We nearly secured all 3 but Chelsea held on in the end. A good football match, the kind everyone loves seeing and this was one of them.

20/03/2021

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A point at Stamford Bridge is good but away at Brentford, a team 19th​ in the League? TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Weimann troubled us with his pace but it was entirely our fault as we should have scored more and put the match to bed. The only thing good out of the match was the coming of age of Midtun who was brilliant in the match and grabbed two assists from the right wing.

MONTH OVERVIEW:

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It started off as a brilliant month and while I can’t call it a disastrous month, we could have performed much better especially against Forest and Brentford. The Euro Cup now remains my only hope of winning a trophy and continuing the tradition of a trophy a season which seems will meet an end this season!

LEAGUE TABLE:

I REMEMBERED:D

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We are 4 points off 3rd​. level with 5th​ and 4 clear of 6th​! An exciting last 2 months of the season waits! We are yet to play Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool so it doesn’t look good for us!

IN OTHER NEWS:

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Midtun becomes the latest player to break in the top 3 of young players list while Pavoni continues his good form.

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I have completed my Coaching Badges! Better offers beckon. Would I leave? A loaded question.

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I am such a nifty little Coach aren’t I?

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MARCH REVIEW – URUGUAY:

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26/03/2021

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A clinical and efficient performance and I gain a new right back option as well. Genoa player Agirregarays selection was criticized by the media but he proved his worth with a Man of the Match performance in his debut as he laid on a goal and kept the Chile attack really quiet. Cavani continued his impressive vein of form while youngster Paleso got his first International score. That was the best moment as the young ones have started to settle in the squad ahead of an important summer.

30/03/2021

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The score line is flattering for us as Peru troubled us very much. Christian Cueva and Jordy Reyna caused our defense trouble with their pace and dribbling and it was only a change of tactics which brought us back into the match. I had to abandon our high line as well as our shorter passing to get the ball from our defense quickly. A beautiful Suarez cross gave Cavani the goal and Paleso then continued his brilliant form to add 2 more goals. The Peru team has scary pace in them!

LEAGUE TABLE

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3rd​ in the table now with Brazil on top 2 points ahead and Argentina only 1! A brilliant turn around since I have taken over and I am very happy with the team. I am looking to blood more youngsters over the next year and holding the cushion against the 4th​ placed Chile will help me do that. Cavani is topping the goal scoring while Paleso has done well since coming in and Suarez has moved to the role of creator.

The Team is shaping up well and exciting times lie ahead for my young team.

Also Czech Republic won promotion from European Division C but sadly they have reverted back to picking mediocre players between 25-30 rather than blood the potentially terrific youngsters. Should I think of a return in future?

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APRIL REVIEW:


03/04/2021

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Well, nothing like an 8 goal thriller to get your heart ready for the season run in! This was a match of attacking genius and defensive errors as both the teams forgot that there was something like stopping goals that they had to do. Ngoy terrorized us with his pace and it was only a late goal by Gill that saved us. Even more funny that Gill was just trying to cross the ball! That said this is an opportunity missed against the relegation threatened Stoke City.

10/04/2021

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A much needed gutsy away win at Watford gives us a bit of breathing space and confidence ahead of the Roma fixture. The match was closer than it seems and Watford tried to pepper us with Shots but their finishing was very poor. Mukhtar is hitting his strides as he lays one and scores one himself to ensure all 3 points.

15/04/2021

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The score line might suggest that it was a boring match but this was a battle of midfields in which our came out on top! Pjanic againt Mukhtar was touted before the match but the plaudits were taken away by Ahyan and Havel. Ahyan was everywhere, making tackles and interceptions, available for the short pass and trying to make things happen. It was one of his pass that Havel managed to score from early on. While I pleased to win against Roma, a 1 goal lead feels insufficient going into the second leg in Rome. We will have to play out of our skins!

18/04/2021

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A late equalizer and an even late winner set the momentum perfectly for us as we prepare to depart for Rome for our second leg. Zaza is one of the most prolific players on the game and he was in fine form and **** bent on condemning us to defeat before Vezi and Mukhtar took it in their hands to deliver us the win. They weren’t scrappy goals either, a pair of well taken and beautiful goals!

22/04/2021

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WE DID IT!!!! We are into the semi finals where we face domestic rivals Crystal Palace! Roma began the match with fire and verve and took an early lead courtesy of Salah but then on it was all about us. A brilliant and dogged defensive display ensured that no more goals were conceded and then Vezi stepped up to score a screamer from the edge of box! All the fight in Roma ended after that goal and we are now into the Semi Finals with a pretty much winnable tie against Palace! Do we dare dream?

28/04/2021

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The match began like every other match against United as Mata kept on toying with us from the first minute. Old Trafford was buzzing with the possibility of title challenge and our players were nervous. We gave away a penalty in the 5th​ minute which MATA MISSED! That did something to the Old Trafford crowd and my team. The crowd grew quiet and my players bold. Goals from Midtun and Pavoni gave us the lead in the First Half but United never recovered. Mata still played beautifully but everyone else had gone into a shell! Young Centre back Prokopec led our defense and did so wonderfully!

MONTH OVERVIEW:

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Well, a totally unexpected unbeaten month brings us right back in contention of Top 4 and a distant contender for the Title. We face Arsenal and Liverpool in May which will prove vital to our Title or Top 4 bid and then there is the Euro Cup Semi Finals! It is still all to play for as we enter the last 4 weeks of the season!

LEAGUE TABLE:

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So we are 1 off 3rd​, 2 off 4th​ and 7 off 1st​! It all seems very simple except for the fact that Manchester City and Southampton are breathing down our neck!

IN OTHER NEWS:

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Mukhtar wins player of the month for his brilliant performances while Midtun comes second…

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…And Midtun wins the Young player of the month with Pavoni coming second!

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We do a clean sweep! I win the Manager of the Month and it is surprising that this is my First Award in the Top Flight!

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MAY REVIEW – PART 1:


02/05/2021

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Vezi again comes up big with a brace as we beat bottom placed Sunderland to start our month. Every game will be crucial from now on! It was a dominant performance against a broken team and it was good to see! Chelsea lost its match and that means we go third!

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CHICHA IS BACK!!!
06/05/2021

The crowd was boisterous and it was a full house as Crystal Palace came to Oxford for the first leg of Semi Finals. Unlike the Roma players, the Palace players looked unfazed by the crowd and the hostile atmosphere. They weren’t on a good patch of form in the Premier League and were lying 18th​ trying to avoid relegation but flying in the Euro Cup. It was going to be a good match!

What a START! Young left back moha clatters Nasri in the box in the 3rd​ minute and we have a penalty! Mukhtar takes and coverts it with aplomb. A fantastic start to the match! But that didn’t last long as again we suffered against the pace of the palace side as they equalized in the 5th​ minute and took the lead in the 25th​! This isn’t turning out like what I expected! They were running us ragged and the players looked tired. Somehow we managed to hold on till half time only 1 goal behind!

The players trudged in silently at half time, nervously glancing at me as I looked murderous. I took a deep breath and just said a single sentence “Do it for the fans” and walked away. 10 minutes later when the side came out, it was a different side altogether! There was zip in the passes; Vezi and Sandro were making runs behind the defense while the full backs and wingers were terrorizing their opposing players.

Mukhtar equalized for us in the 59th​ minute and we increased the pressure there on. Vezi missed 3 chances to take the lead before finally turning provided in the 78th​ minute to Sandro. We couldn’t score any other goals but managed to hold on to a memorable comeback win. The away goals are troubling though.

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09/05/2021

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Arsenal’s class shows ultimately as we fail to derail their title challenge. Sanchez gave them an early lead but Vezi hit back immediately and then it turned into a battle of midfield domination which they ultimately won after Ozil scored a beautiful goal in the 63rd​ minute! Can’s dismissal opened the path for us but their defense held firm and they defeated us! Chelsea couldn’t capitalize on our loss and we stay 3rd​! It seems the Universe wants us in the Champions League!

13/05/2021

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Selhurst Park, London will determine whether we get a shot at a trophy this season or not. The Crystal Palace team is in horrible form and we should win easily but then they showed fantastic spirit in the match and they won’t be taken lightly especially at home.

We began the match on the front immediately getting into their box before the ball was cleared. The Crystal Palace players looked more nervous than us. Their defense was panicked and attack lackluster. We took the lead in the 24th​ minute through MUKHTAR! This man has been brilliant for us and to think we signed him for peanuts! We have halved the away goal deficit.

We relentlessly attacked but their defense held up while they couldn’t do anything in attack as the full time whistle blew! They had zero shots on target as the fans booed their players off but it didn’t matter as WE WERE IN THE FINALS! IT’S MUKHTARS EX! SLB WE ARE COMING FOR YOU!

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16/05/2021

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Don’t ask me how we managed to lose this! Liverpool somehow managed to score 2 past us and we couldn’t respond! Liverpool completes a double over us and that is embarrassing as they are downright mediocre. The good news is CHELSEA AGAIN FAILT TO CAPITALISE and it goes down the wire in to the final match of the season! This should be fun!

LEAGUE TABLE:

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Narratives:
- Manchester United can still usurp the title!
- 3rd​ and 4th​ are still up for battle with mere 3 points separating the 3rd​ and 6th​ placed team.
- Crystal Palace are hoping for Survival on the last day but Watford have a game in hand against SUNDERDLAND who are last!

AN EXCITING FINAL DAY FOLKS! THE FINAL MATCH DAY AND THE EURO CUP FINAL IN THE NEXT UPDATES

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MATCH DAY 38:

Watch List:

Welcome to the FINAL DAY OF THE SEASON! A title and 2 champion’s league places are in contention today to what will be an exciting day. Last day finishes are always the best! There are many combinations possible and I won’t bore you with all of them! Manchester United need a better Result than Arsenal and need to score a plethora of goals! Oxford will be fine as long as they win and if they don’t they can end up finishing as low as 6th​! Welcome to PREMIER LEAGUE FRIENDS!

Arsenal vs. Watford
Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea
Man Utd vs. Brentford
Southampton vs. Tottenham

It’s kick off in the PREMIER LEAGUE!

1’ MANCHESTER UNITED SCORE! Luke Shaw opens the score for Manchester United and now they are tied with Arsenal, behind only on Goal Difference! What a START!

8’- ITS BERMUDEZ FOR OXFORD! Both goals from left side for the day as the Barca loanee gives Oxford the lead!

11’ – Not for long though as QPR equalize through a stunning Green goal! WHAT A SHOT FROM 25 YARDS by the youngster!

19’ – Kane scores for Tottenham! Southampton are behind and out of the race for 4th​!

25’ – Babacar scores for WATFORD! Arsenal is behind at the EMIRATES and fall to second position! IT’S ALL HAPPENING HERE.

38’ – Hazard scores for Chelsea as they grab hold of the 4th​ position!

40’ – Draxler for Tottenham! Southampton is going to miss out on Champions League it seems!

HALF TIME! This is how it stands:

1.Manchester United
2.Arsenal
3.Oxford United
4.Chelsea
5.Manchester City
6.Southampton

46’ – MANCHESTER UNITED double their lead! It’s Calleri with the goal as United score in the 1st​ minute of both halves! This seems to be their day!

50’ –Its Oxford now and Callum Chamber powers in a beautiful headed! The scoring sequence has been the same as in the first half! QPR next I suppose?

69’ – Crystal Palace equalize through Zaha but Chelsea seems relaxed with 4th​ spot sealed.

75’ – Oztunali scores for United while QPR equalize through Roberts, the drama ain’t over yet.

76’ – Vlasic for Tottenham! Southampton are dead and buried!
82’ – A TWIST IN THE TALE? Midtun scores for Oxford to give them the lead again but what has happened at Emirates? Nyom has been controversially sent off and Arsenal get a penalty! Ozil converts it and the match is back on!

90’ – Kane scores another for Tottenham and make the score line humiliating!

FULL TIME AT MANCHESTER , QPR AND SOUTHAMPTON! 4 minutes stoppage time at Emirates!

94’ – ANOTHER PENALTY FOR ARSENAL!!!! THEY HAVE WON IT IN THE LAST SECOND!! AND SECOND TIME IN A DECADE, Manchester United lose the title in dying seconds! ARSENAL WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE ALBEIT CONTROVERSIALLY!

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EURO CUP FINAL UP NEXT!

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EURO CUP FINAL


26/05/2021

IBROX STADIUM, SCOTLAND

PREVIEW:

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SLB or Benfica are one of the most popular teams in the World of Football, a European Giant as well as a winner in Europe multiple times. On the other hand, Oxford is a club who has risen dramatically from the bottom rungs of English Football and enters the Finals of the competition for the first time in their entire History. A David vs. Goliath in terms of the experience of playing in Europe but otherwise it will be an evenly matched final!

Benfica have fallen behind in Portugal of late while Oxford hasn’t looked down since Savan Shah joined them in 2016! He has worked miracles at the club and if he wins this match it will be a certificate of his growing popularity. Rui Vitoria has also been at the club for long but has seen to a downturn of form rather than European Dominance since Jorge Jesus moved across town to Sporting!

Benfica have attracted top names since being a perennial giant while Oxford have made astute signing by scouring the world and are full of young players! SLB’s own previous player Hany Mukhtar will come face to face with them as a man being chased by Barcelona and Munich. Can he get one up against his previous club? This match is full of sub plots and excitement and will be prove to be one of the best finals!

LINE UP:

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Both teams have named a regular, unsurprising XI and have their best players on the pitch! Well mostly as Oxford miss plenty of players due to Registration rules which is a major talking point amongst many pundits saying they have bought their way up top but they have signed most players on free so that makes it quite moot! Benfica will be hoping that the wingers Pereira and Gaitan leading the way for them! SLB play with a deep midfield with 2 DM’s and like to play on Counter while Oxford like to have the ball so that is another sub-context which will make for an interesting talking point post match!

The most important piece of news for Oxford fans is the JAVIER HERNANDEZ IS ON THE BENCH!

THE MATCH:

KICK OFF!

1’ – Oxford attack immediately and a late tackle from Malcom prevents Vezi from getting a shot on! Oxford announces their intentions!

2’ – Benfica on the counter after the tackle from Malcom! The ball is passed out to the left to Gaitan who then switches the play over to the right! The ball is crossed in and GOALLLLL! Benfica lead…wa..wait that’s offside! Back to 0-0. A marginal call by the linesman!

8’ – A free kick from Gaitan is nearly headed in by Pereira who has started out well! He should have scored though! It’s all Benfica after the 1st​ minute!

25’ – The match had petered out a bit well until this moment! Another free kick for Benfica, the ball is passed to Jimenez who beats a man and lets it loose! Rattles the crossbar! Pereira can’t score from the tight angle and its out for a goal kick! Oxford need to stop giving away these fouls!

29’ – Havel slides a shot into the side netting! A first attack after a while for Oxford!

34’ – Another missed chance for SLB! This time from a corner! SLB have to take the chances or they will end up regretting it!

38’ – Mukhtar gets some space and embarks on a run from deep! He passes it left to Sandro who immediately releases Vezi! Two touches later Hassen palms the ball away…

INTO THE PATH OF NASRI! OXFORD SCORE 1-0! SLB pay for the missed chances!

41’ – Corner for Oxford! Nasri to take, SLB clear it but back to Nasri! Another cross in, Sandro Rises and SCORES!! 2-0 for Oxford! What a goal by Oxford, Sandro rises above 2 defenders and heads it in! The players are delighted! An upset on our hands?

HALF TIME! Oxford turned the game on its head in the last 7 minutes and SLB would be regretting the missed chances!

48’ – Oxford continue their good play! They are teasing the SLB full backs, Vezi drops to the right and crosses in! SANDRO CLATTERS THE BAR FROM 2 YARDS! He does a Pereira and misses the chance to put the match to bed! Is there a comeback somewhere?

54’ – Gonzalez misses a one on one! Another chance missed for SLB! They need to finish the chances!
58’ – HE DOESN’T MISS THIS TIME! 2-1! Gonzalez finishes with aplomb after beating 2 defenders, a poor clearance by Oxford defense!

65’ – Pereira comes on for Oxford and play a beautiful ball in for Sandro immediately! Sandro pulls 3 defenders towards him and crosses in to Vezi who is alone! A tap in! 3-1! Horrible defending that!

67’ – Make it 4-1! VEZI AGAIN! He receives the ball on the edge of the box, goes to right and finishes from a Narrow angle! TOP SHOT! The match seems to be dusted!

70’ – Phenomenal Stop from Kucera who dived to his right after a brilliant run from Benfica! He is sure playing his part!

74’ – Just wide from Vezi from a Narrow angle! Vezi is causing SLB more trouble!

75’ – Sandro now misses a hard chance! All oxford since a while! Sandro coming off now and HERNANDEZ IS ON! Huge round of applause from both sides! He immediately latches on to a ball but shoots off target!

79’ – Roskopf sends a header over! It’s been a game of near misses for SLB!

80’ – Another good move waster as Gonzalez shoots straight at the keeper! Benfica are at least keeping the moves going!

87’ – A silly and stupid challenge as McNair hacks down Roskopf! He was already on red and is sent off! He will miss the Super Cup now!

91’ – Kaan Ahyan with the corner! Swings it towards the edge of the box where Chambers rushes in! 5-1! WHAT A GOAL AND THAT IS FULL TIME! SLB ARE HAMMERED! They will look back and look at the missed chances and wonder what might have been!

REVIEW:

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What an EMPHATIC WIN FOR OXFORD! They finished with confidence and defended resolutely and also had some luck at their side with Benfica hitting the posts twice! That wouldn’t have mattered with how well the Oxford forwards were getting into Benfica box! Every player was immense on the pitch and till the stupid red card by McNair they were majestic on and off the ball!
It all went to plan for Oxford and even Javier Hernandez made it on the pitch after the horrific leg break! Oxford will now contest for the Super Cup next season and things are looking up for this club who not so long ago were struggling in League 2!

It has been a pleasure to have you as audience! Signing off for the season!

REACTIONS:

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NEWS AT A GLANCE:

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6 years after I took charge, WE HAVE REACHED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! We are way ahead of our targets and that is both good as well as bad! For now I am going to cherish this achievement!

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I needed to strengthen some areas and this will help me! Especially as I am looking to buy some Home Grown Players :D

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Fired for finishing 4th! Tough job for the man!
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Oh Money you thing of beauty! :D

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I have no clue when we finished 4th but this is a very huge achievement for me as well as the Club! Competing in Champions League will help us financially as well along with raising our stature! We are now in the Top 10 Clubs in England so that's a start! An exciting season ahead for sure!

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PREMIER LEAGUE AWARDS:

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A well deserved award as he leads them to a Premier League title! Some of the goals he scored were exquisite!

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Easily the best right back in the game!

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Zaza somehow beats everyone to the award! He is a good goal scorer but should be proud of beating Costa and Lukaku.

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Vezi is just 21! Just saying! It was his first season in England as well!

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The cross which somehow snuck in wins a goal! There were many jokes at expense of Shadab in the Dressing Room post this! :D

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Hart is still going strong! What is surprising is City has not bought an expensive Goalkeeper to replace him! De Gea meanwhile confirms his position as one of the best!
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What must I do to be considered?

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Well we atleast get some sort of recognition as Vezi gets selected in Team of the Year! He was ****** brilliant in the year, in his first season itself and I can't wait to see what more he can do :D

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SEASON REVIEW PART - I:


CLUB AWARDS AND BEST XI:

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I know many of the players from our Euro Cup success season have only been at the club for a year but our Overall XI is a farce! Callum easily surpasses Leo chambers while Vezi should be walked into the All Time XI using a red carpet. Cuvelier, Lundstram and Roofe while Club Legends haven’t played for us for over 2 years but they still feature here. They should work out a better method to calculate this!

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Only 3 players remain at the club with Gill set to depart as well!

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Only change I see in the Team of the Year is replacing Havel with Aarons and Aarons with Jay Dasilva! I am confused between Mukhtar and Vezi but Mukhtar is a solid selection for the best player! He turned up in all the big League matches while Vezi was a revelation in the Euro Cup! To think that he is a free signing!

PREMIER LEAGUE:

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I know I say it after every season but I am genuinely stumped! I don’t know where to start! Another season where we simply stumped the critics by killing notions of Second Season Syndrome apart and doing even better than we did in our first season!

We finished on a record high on 3rd​ position with 11 points more than in our first season! Our performances against team below us improved while it deteriorated a little against the Top teams! Some of our best players from the previous season declined and were replaced, the replacements performing better by a mile!

Our defense leaked a lot of goals though and we need to do better keeping clean sheets if we are to go further and challenge for the Premier League. We conceded a lot of late goals and that will have to stop! I am going to follow MANUMAD’s method to stop those late goals and perform better!

It was a spectacular season overall and I can’t wait for the next one to start!

F.A. CUP:

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A disappointing end to a campaign which started so brightly! After seeing of teams like Southampton and Manchester City we somehow were humiliated by a mid-table team in the Championship in form of Notingham Forest! The fact that they went on to win the Cup and will compete in Europe next season while awakens the magic of FA Cup reflects poorly on us and our handling of the competition!

After the heartbreak in final last season we should have at least reached the finals and not reaching them was one of our lows of the season. We need to be better next season and win the domestic competition to add to our growing trophy cabinet.

CAPITAL ONE CUP:

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It wasn’t our season in the Domestic Cups as the under dogs ran rampage! It is funny that I have to use the word under dogs as not long ago we were counted among the under dogs and now we are expected to win the Cups. I am hurt to go out early in the Capital One Cup but City away was always going to be a hard task and the boys played really well with 10 men on the pitch!

While our campaign was short and disappointing, Middlesborough ran riot! They put 3 past Tottenham and Manchester United and then 6 past Southampton over 2 legs before scoring 3 in the finals! It was a prolific campaign if nothing else as they enter the Euro Cup for next season! Here is hoping they can do an Oxford United!

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Cant wait for the next season to start, aiming for a title push?
Will be nice to see the first youth players start to make it in to your team over the next few years.
Good luck keep up the good work.
 
Tracz said:
Cant wait for the next season to start, aiming for a title push?
Will be nice to see the first youth players start to make it in to your team over the next few years.
Good luck keep up the good work.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much :) I am yet to write my season review part 2 as well as the preview for next season for next season, I will try getting it up by tomorrow most probably!

As for the next season I am looking to consolidate a top 4 position for most part and yes as you said promote youth! I have just one Player who is HG at club for the moment and I am looking to change that by promoting some youth instead of loaning them out lets see how it affects our title bid!

Our over achievment till now means players are asking for sky high wages and I have to take care of FFP, so lots of wheeling and dealing going on for now :D
 
SEASON REVIEW PART II:

EURO CUP:


I have noticed that when it comes to Cups, we tend to get an easy draw when we play for the first time! This time it was not so! The group wasn’t easy and nor were any of the matches after. But the players did what I asked them to and we found ourselves in the final where we then managed to blow away Benfica!
The plan was simple, don’t try anything Hollywood, play simple football, keep the ball, defend well and score on counter! We frustrated most of the teams in defense while on the other side the experience of Nasri helped us a lot! Vezi was simply brilliant in the Cup scoring in almost every match plus coming up with some scintillating goals like the one which gave us the away goal against Porto! Kucera as usual was his acrobatic and brilliant self!

Ours was a team victory which was built around the cornerstones of the above mentioned players, someone always stepped up in different matches and I was relieved that I had many match winners in our team. We did what a team is expected to do, get the job done! And we did that and then some more!

FINANCIAL:

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The financials are amazing and improving day after day. The money from the Premier League, our successful Euro Cup plus an increase in shirt sales as well as ticket sales means we are termed as a Rich Club now, a far cry from our days in the League 2. We are among the top clubs if we consider the amount of money and valuation. We are attracting better players and able to afford higher wages though as I realized when I was auditing the books, FFP will be something I will have to take care of.

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Our Sponsorship and Commercial activity rises again which is again a very good sign!

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Our success combined with increase in wealth has not gone unnoticed by our players, other players or other clubs who are demanding more from us now. We are unable to get a cheap loan or sign a player or peanut wages just by offering an exciting team. With great money should come greater restraint and I will have to be careful as ever!

CLUB DEVELOPMENT:

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One thing that I missed out in our initial years and that I am willing to do at the cost of my Transfer Budget it Club Development. We have reached the Champions League but our Stadium is small, training and youth facilities average while Youth Recruitment is nothing to brag about! We have got a brilliant staff but they are also limited by the facilities and therefore I will invest each year a part of our income to develop that and take it to the optimum level!

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The youth and training facilities set to be upgraded!

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Our youth setup cost is increasing each year, that is good right?

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A very important step as we look to bring in more academy players!

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A very very important step as we increase our capacity by 50 %! The downside though is that we won't be able to play at the Kassam Stadium in our maiden Champions League Campaign! The atmosphere at Kassam is very important to our play and this is a huge blow for us although Development is important!


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SEASON REVIEW PART III:

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This is my squad in order of appearance! Kureca played a record 60 matches plus 1 as a substitute! A long season and most of the players were brilliant! Special mention to Mukhtar, Vezi and Chambers who slogged it out for the entire season and gave brilliant performances consistently!

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No mention in the Top Stats except 3rd in Average possession and 3rd in goals scored! We are top in hitting the shots on target though which shows our accuracy in shooting!

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No player on the entire list! Whilst this would make many managers worried, I am proud of my team and their joint work!


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LEAGUES AROUND THE WORLD:

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Barcelona regain their title ad the Duopoly continues! So many leagues which need me to break the shackles :D

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Other than 1 Anomaly, its all Bayern! They need me too! The League I mean :D

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I don't know if the league is **** or Juventus too good! That is 10 years in a row!

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Another duopoly! Although Marseille did come close...

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Sporting have been on a role for past 4 years! In the top 6 leagues, only PL has had no consecutive winners!

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I don't know which CL title this is for Madrid! They were dominant through out as Ronaldo is still going strong! Our SUPER CUP opponents! Will be exciting to be opposite my once favorite player Ronaldo!

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